[digitalant]

I am completing our whole apt audio setup (speakers in all rooms for audio & 5.1 & 7.1 in 2 rooms). I have dedicated a closet for the full rack of AV equipment and wanted some advice. 34 total speaker runs, 4 hdmi, 8 ethernet, 2 USB & 1 3.5mm audio).


All cable runs (speakers, HDMI, ethernet, USB & 3.5 audio) are run through the walls from the speakers/room volume controls and I'm not sure if I should connect all the wires above DIRECTLY to the amps/receivers/distributors with cable looms OR set up a keystone media plate (or several as it would be) in the wall and use a separate connection from the wall plate to the amps/receivers/distributors. Maximum run for the HDMIs is 30 feet (single cable) and speaker cables are max 65 feet with 12 gauge wiring.


I know that there is a possiblity of degradation with each connection, but it would allow for a much more elegant solution in the closet (i'd be able to label all the keystones etc). Is the possible degradation worth a clutter-free organized closet?


Your expert advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[Techphil]

Degradation of the audio signal going through a wall plate is a non issue. In theory it might sound like a nicer install to use wallplates and keystones but you say you have 34 speaker runs. That requires two keystones for each run so you would have 68 keystones. The max you can fit in a 1g plate is 6 keystones. You would have to have 12 1g wallplates with wires going to each. Sounds something like a spider web to me. A single trunk of wire coming out of a 2 or three gang box with a nice cover plate will look far better.

 

[rishi76]

Use this:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...=5336055023-20


As many as required. Just add the speaker cable keystones, and label them. I much prefer a clean setup, even though it adds a bit of cost.

 

[digitalant]

Thanks for the replies & advice.


Wouldn't having the cables trunked together be just as much of a spider web as having keystones?


I'm just picturing having to fish through the cables and disconnect from the receivers/amps/distro boxes during any maintenance, when I could disconnect from the wall plates instead.


What do you think of rishi76's recommendation?

 

[Greg C]

If you are using a real rack like a Middle Atlantic, there is no reason for a mess. Just use their lacing bars. And you can still label the individual wires. Just get a Rhino 3000 label maker.

 

[digitalant]

I have the Omnimount RSF (still in the box so I can't really see what options for cable management it has). http://www.omnimount.com/Product/Rac...k_Systems/RSF/


I'll definitely label all the cables - I have a P-Touch.

 

[petern]

The product page says it includes 5 lacing bars so you should be able to use those (and add some more if necessary) to route and tie down your wires in place behind their respective pieces of equipment, where they can be easily disconnected for service.

 

[digitalant]

Ok- this may be a silly question, but how does one use lacing bars? I have no experience with them. Does anyone have a picture of what it looks like with cables that they can share? I tried searching, but was unsuccessful. Thanks.

 

[petern]

A couple of pics in this thread: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1312676

 

[Techphil]



 

[olyteddy]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Techphil /forum/post/20793518

Nice rack, but where are the service loops? It looks like that would be a bit of a bear to pull something out of for service, especially with wires coming in from both sides.
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